TOPEKA — The Latest on Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s annual State of the State address and budget issues (all times local): 6:40 p.m. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says he’ll propose some “one-time measures” to help balance the state’s current budget. Brownback wasn’t more specific Tuesday evening in speaking with reporters after his annual State of the State address. He plans to release the details of his budget proposals Wednesday. The state faces a projected shortfall of $342 million in its current budget. Lawmakers don’t think they can raise taxes quickly enough to fill the gap before the fiscal year ends…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — The Kansas lawmaker whose 10-year-old son was killed on a water slide is urging his colleagues to remember there’s more to life than what happens in the Capitol. The Kansas City Star reports that Scott Schwab was emotional after being sworn in Monday as a leader in the Kansas House. The Republican from the Kansas City suburb of Olathe told lawmakers to “let it go” when their bills die or amendments fail. He says, “Life isn’t worth wasting too much emotional energy on such things.” He added that “it could get worse.” His son, Caleb Thomas Schwab, died in…
TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is preparing to give his annual State of the State address to a less-friendly Legislature amid serious budget problems. The Republican governor was scheduled to speak Tuesday evening to a joint session of the GOP-controlled House and Senate. The address gives Brownback a chance to outline his agenda for the 90-day legislative session and tout his policies. But Kansas is facing projected budget shortfalls totaling $1.1 billion through June 2019. Elections last year left the Legislature less conservative as voters ousted two dozen Brownback allies. The state has struggled to balance its budget since Republican…
Today’s guest was Riley County Commission chair Ron Wells.
An investigation into the summer death of a Fort Riley soldier has been concluded, with the manner of death listed as suicide. Specialist Oscar Delgado, 26, who served as a fire control repairer, was found dead on post July first, after being reported missing by his unit on June 26th. According to Chris Grey, the Chief of Public Affairs with the Criminal Investigation Command at Quantico, Virginia, the Army CID investigation into Delgado’s death was finalized last month. Grey adds the CID investigation came to the same conclusion as the Armed Forces Medical Examiner’s autopsy, which also ruled the death a…
A Junction City woman was taken to a Topeka hospital following a one vehicle accident on I-70 in Wabaunsee County Monday. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Sharon Dorminey, 72, was driving a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound close to two miles west of the Maple Hill exit when the vehicle left the roadway and Dorminey over corrected. The Grand Cherokee then crossed the center median and rolled, coming to rest in the eastbound lanes. The accident was reported shortly after 9:30 Monday morning. Dorminey was wearing a seat belt.
Monday’s Pottawatomie County Commission meeting was quite eventful. Speeches were made, cookies were eaten, and coffee was sipped as fellow commissioners, family, and friends said goodbye to outgoing commissioner Stan Hartwich and hello to incoming commissioner, Travis Altenhofen. After winning the vote of Pottawatomie County residents and attending two commission meeting’s prior, Altenhofen was able to take his seat Monday as the county’s youngest commissioner at 28. For his first order of business, Altenhofen asked commissioners to approve the purchase of a new laptop for himself to do commissioner work with. For the fifth time, Pottawatomie County Sheriff Greg Riat was sworn into…
Riley County swore in its newest commissioner Monday morning. Marvin Rodriguez officially became the new District 2 representative on the Riley County Board of County Commissioners. Rodriguez defeated former commissioner Robert Boyd in the August Republican primary by 300 votes. Commissioner Ron Wells, who won his re-election bid against first-time Democratic challenger Levi Smith in November, was also sworn in and made chairman. Rodriguez was named vice-chair. “Well, I’m excited,” Rodriguez told KMAN after the meeting. “This will be a new thing for me, but I’m excited about serving the public and seeing if we can make some goals I had…
TOPEKA — The latest on the opening day of the Kansas Legislature’s annual session (all times local): 4:50 p.m. A Kansas House committee is drafting a bill to repeal an income tax cut for farmers and business owners championed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. The Taxation Committee voted Monday to sponsor the measure. It acted less than three hours after the GOP-controlled Legislature convened its annual session. Some committee members also said they want lawmakers to pass the bill this month so that the changes could be applied retroactively to Jan. 1. Doing so would allow the state to raise…
TOPEKA — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and top Kansas lawmakers are not on the same page about ending an income tax break for farmers and business owners. The GOP-controlled Legislature opens its annual session Monday and must close projected budget shortfalls totaling $1.1 billion through June 2019. Legislative leaders said this week that they see bipartisan support for repealing the tax break, which was enacted in 2012 and benefits more than 330,000 farmers and business owners. Senate Majority Leader and Overland Park Republican Jim Denning predicted that even though Brownback championed the tax break, he’d allow a bill to repeal it…